Common Name: Rotan Dahan

General Information

Rotan dahan is a climbing, evergreen shrub, producing a cluster of slender, woody stems around 20 - 30mm in diameter. A very vigorous species, the stems can be up to 80 metres long, clambering to the tops of trees in the forest, where they then branch and form aerial entanglements in the trees[, ].
The durable canes are highly sought after at village level, being used for making baskets, weaving etc[]. They are not generally considered attractive, however, and have little commercial future[].

Known Hazards

Many species in this genus have ants living on them in structures evolved by the plant known as ocreas. In some species the ants can be very aggressive[, ].

Botanical References

Range

Southeastern Asia - Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines.

Habitat

Primary forests and logged-over forests, at elevations up to 1,100 metres[]. Secondary forests and steep slopes at elevations up to 500 metres in the Philippines[].

Properties

Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Climber
Height	15.00 m
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Plants succeed in moist tropical climates where temperatures never fall below 10°c, the average annual rainfall is 1,500mm or more and the driest month has 25mm or more rain[].

A monocarpic species, it can grow for many years without flowering, then flowers prolifically before setting seed and dying. The flowers are produced in panicles at the ends of the stems[].
Many species n this genus have a close association with ants that make their nests within swollen structures in the leaf sheaths known as ocreas. The ant-rattan relationship also seems to involve the presence of scale insects that are husbanded by the ants for honey dew on young rattan tissue. Ants occupying the ocreas of some species can be extremely aggressive[].

Edible Uses

The fruit of all members of this genus is more or less edible. It is sometimes eaten, but there is little flesh and it is therefore more likely to be used as a famine food when little else is available[, ]. The globose fruit is around 20mm in diameter[].

Medicinal

None known

Other Uses

The long, strong, flexible stems are very durable[]. The canes are durable, but not very flexible[]. They are widely used by native peoples for making baskets, weaving into furniture etc, and as a strong and durable tying material[, ]. Used as the frames of furniture[]. The stems are up to 35mm in diameter[].
The inner epidermis of the leaf-sheaths is not easily separable from the cane surface and the nodes are frequently scarred on one side by the remains of axillary buds or branches[]. These factors detract from the overall marketability of the canes, which are otherwise very durable and not unattractive[].

Propagation

Seed - pre-soak 24 hours in warm water and sow in containers[]. The seed needs to be fresh for satisfactory germination[]

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